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St: 'j Maz/yg #5% E. NOPPEL.

FORCE AND SUCTION DEVICE. APPLICATION FILED A'Pn.29.1914.

1,304,196. Patented May 20 1919.

646,668 granted to me man Norret., or

PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOE 0F ONE-HALF '1.0A IUI-IUS E. KENNEDY, 0F ITEW YORK, N. Y.

ronca Ann sU'cTIoN nEvIcn.

Specication of Letters Patent.

' Application iiled April 29, 1914. Serial No. 835,123.

To concern: Be it known that I, EMIL Norrm., a citizen of theiUnited States, residing at Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State ofPennsylv'ania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Force and Suction Devices, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

This inventionrelate's to combined force and suction devices for dislodging obstructions in pipes, drains, etc. In Letters Patent of the. United States Nos. 646,455 and April, 1900, a device of this'character is disclosed consisting. of a pumping device and a connected cup, the latter being adapted to. be applied 'over the pipe or passage to be cleared: and being so formedas to effectually. seal the joint between the cup and the surface to which it ,is applied, both when the pump is operated to compress the air and when it is operated to create suction. In the patented devices the cup is of iem'ble or elastic material and is reinforced by a stiff cap, leaving the exible edge of the cup exposed, which edge is formed with diverging angularly related inner and outer sealing lips, the outer lip acting as a seal when the pump is operated to create suction., and the inner lip acting as a seal when the pump is operated to compress the air 'in the cup. The devices of the patents were designed for use more particularly in situations where the pi e or drain wassurrounded by a substantial y iiat or slightly inclined surface leading thereto, such for instance as exists in sinks, wash basins and the like, and in the use of the patented devices it was found that where the drain or pipe was surrounded by a surface having a decided inclination, as for instance in many forms of closet bowls, the

lips on the cup would fail to seat properly, and consequently the device would not operate effectively.

It the aim of the Vpresent invention to produce a combined force and suction device -which will operate with effectiveness under the conditions mentioned, and the invention consists 1n provlding sesslng a decided slope or inclination, the

on the 3rd day of.

the edge of the cup Y with inner and outer sealing lips, so formed' inner lip will extend into the pipe and seat against and seal the inner surface of the same and the outer lip will seat against and seal the inclined surface leading to the pipe. As a convenient Vmeans of carrying the invention into effect, the constructions of the bination with means for so adjusting the cup from its normal condition of use, that it may be employed both in cases where the pipe is surrounded by a flat or slightly inclined surface, and also where the surface leading Patented Mayao, 1919..

patents mentioned may be adopted, in comy to the pipe possesses considerable inclination or slope.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure l is a side elevation partly in` sectionY of my improved device as. it appears when employed in connection with pipes or drains surrounded by a flat or substantially iiat surface.

Fig. l2 is a similar View showing-the cup adjusted to adapt the same to be employed in connection with pipes Vor drains surrounded by an inclined or sloping surface.

Referring to the drawings:

'A represents a pumping device and B an inverted cup connected therewith. The pumping device is of the familiar well known form, consisting of a cylinder C containing a piston D provided with a handle E, which when drawn outwardly will create suction beneath the piston, and when neath the piston. The cup B is of flexible imite-rial, preferably rubber, and in its normal condition as shown in Fig. 1 it is curved upwardly at its center inthe form of a doine b, having an opening ltherethrough communicating with the;l .interior of the pump` cylinder through the nipple E on the latter. In the form of the device shown,- the cup is detachably connected-,with the nipple by means of a sleeve Gr provided with inner and outer screw threads and having a head H on its end. rlhe sleeve extends through the opening in the cu which .latter is tightly clamped thereto by lining nut I screwed on the inner end of the sleeve and binding the cup against the head H. The end of the nipple is threaded and screwed tightly intoV the sleeve, thereby forming an operative detachable connection between the pumpand cup. K represents a reinforcing or stlffening cap for the cup means of a conthe dome ofthe same leaving the-lower edge` of .the cup free and exposed. This cap is detachably held in placeby being provided 4described the cap may be readily detached fromp'the cup and connected parts, and again connected in place in reversed-position, as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. l for the purpose presently to be described.

The exposed free edge of the cup is bifurcated as shown forming two sealing lips, an outer lip L and an inner lip M which diverge from each other at relative angles. The edges of these lips arev adapted to seat on the surface surrounding the pipe or drain to be cleared as shown in Fig. l, and their form and relations are such that when the pump is operated to create suction within the cup and consequently withinL the pipe, the atmospheric pressure on the outer lip will act to force the same tightly down and cause it to act as a seal against the ingress of air between it and the surface to which it is applied, thereby enabling a vacuum to be fsaid 1Letters Patent above mentioned, and

the details thereof form no part of the present invention except in so far as they ciooperate with the novel features' of the invention as will now be described.

The present'invention, in the particular exampler and embodiment shown, contemplates such an adjustment or change in the form of the cup that the'sealing lips thereon may be made to Coperate with pipes or other outlets where the surrounding surface leading thereto isV deeply inclined or possess a deci ed slope as shown in Fig. 2. rlhe adjustment Yof the cup for this purpose is effected by reversing the curvature of the dome of the same, so that it will curve downwardly at its center as shown in Fig. 2, instead of upwardly as shown in Fig. 1, and this is eected by reversing the osition of the reinforcing cap as shown by otted lines in Fig. l. The reversal of the ca'p is eected by first removing the confining nut I then drawing the cup and cap from the nipple, then removing andreversing the position of thel cap, and nally reassembling the parts and securin them xedly in operative relations asbe ore,but wlth the cap reversed.

lf now the cap is applied to a surface of. the

form shown in Fig. 2, the"inner.lip'will enter' within the pipe, .and when the pump is forced downwardly, the cup will be collapsed at its center `and the curvature of the dome will be reversed and willconformto the convex surface ofthe inverted cap, the inner lip being pressed against the inner surface of the pipe, and the outerlip beingV caused to set iatly against the sloping surface' surrounding the same. This position of the parts is clearly indicated in Fig. 2, and when the pump is operated to create suction, the side of the-outer lip will act as a seal in connection with the sloping surface leadino to the pipe, and will eectually prevent the ingress of air at this-point; and Y when the pump is operated to create pressure,.the side of the inner lip will coperate with the inner surface of the pipe and act as a seal to point.

ln order that when'the curvature ofthe cup is thus reversed, the inner lip will be caused to seat with certainty and uniformityagainst the inner surface of the pipe, l provide the cup with an annular .rib vN which, when the cup is in the condition shown 'in Fig. l, extends inwardly from the inner surface thereof, but when the cup is reversed in position `as shown in Fig. 2, will extend outwardly therefrom. The position, form. and size of the rib, relative to the inner sealing lip is such that when the cup is reversed, the free edge of the rib will abut and bear against the inner side of the lip at its lower end, and will in this manner force the same outwardly and .cause it to seat closely and uniformly against the inner surface of the pipe. When in this position, the inner sur- 'face of the rib presents an outwardly and v it is the ends of the lips vthat contact vwith.

the surface and are active as seals, whereas when employed under theV conditions illustrated in Fig.r 2,l 'it is the adjacent inner sides of the lips that Contact with the surfaces `and are active aS seals.

It will be obvious to the skilled mechanic that various changesin the details of the construction may bemade without departing from the limits of my invention. For

instance the invention'is not limited to theparticular form of detachable connection ofA the parts tov enable the reinforcing cap secured in reversed position, asiother means prevent the escape of air at this 1 1anv for accomplishing this object will suggest themselves to the skilled mechanic, and be embraced within the limits of my invention. It will be understood therefore that my invention is not limited to anv particular form or embodiment of the parts except in so far as such limitations are specied in the claims.

Having thus described my invention,what I claim is:

1. In a combined force and suction device, the combination of a pump, a cup connected therewith and provided with flexible sealing lips normally diverging from each other toward their free ends and provided on their adjacent sides with sealing surfaces, said lips being of suchY length and construction that when spread apart the sealing surfaces may be made to coperate with surfaces relatively inclined to each other to seal the same, and means acting on the cup and adapted by pressure thereon to deform the cup and spreadthe sealing lips apart.

2. In a. combined force and suction device, the combination of a pump, a cup connected therewith and provided with two sealing lips having sealing surfaces on their ends and also on their adjacent sides, said lips -being normally in position to render the end sealing surfaces operative, and said lips being of such length and construction that when spread apart the side sealing surfaces will be adapted to coperate with surfaces relatively inclined to each other to seal the same, and means for adjusting the cup to spread said lips apart.

3. In a combined force and suction device,

the combination of a pump, a flexible cup connected therewith and sealing lip, means for adjusting said cup to seat the sealing lip, anda projection on the cup adapted to engage the lip when the cup is adjusted.

4. In a combined` force and suction device for clearing pipes, etc., the combination of appump, a ilexlble concaved cup connected therewith and provided with inner and outer sealing lips 'adapted to coperate at their ends with a [iat or substantially flat surface,

provided with a,

means for reversing the concavity of the cup to adapt the lips to coperate with surfaces relatively inclined to each other, and

a rib on the cup adapted to engage the v the combination of a pump, a flexible concave cup connected therewith and provided with sealing lips adapted to cooperate with 1 a flat surface, said cup being adapted to be collapsed to -spread the lips apart, said lips being of such length and construction that when spreadl apart they will be adapted to coperate with surfaces relatively inclined to each other, and a concave reinforcing cap applied over the cup and reversible thereon to collapse the cup and spread the lips apart.

6. A cup for a combined force and suction device, said cup being formed with a dome, and being provided with inner and outer sealing lips having end sealing surfaces,said lips being of'such length and construction that when the curvature of the dome is reversed, the sides of the lips may be made to contact respectively with surfaces relatively inclined to each other to seal the same.

7. A cup for a combined force and suction device, said cup being provided with inner and outer sealing lips, and' having a rib adapted to engage the inner lip and hold the'same sealed. Y

8. A cup for a combined force and suction device, said cup being provided with inner and outer sealing lips, Vand being deformable to seat the sealing lips respectively against the surfaces to be sealed, the said inner lip and adjacent .portion of the cup being of such relative form that when the cup is deformed, said adjacent portion ofthecup will positively engage the inner lip to lforce the same tightly against the surface.

In testimony whereof, I have affixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

Y EMIL NOPPEL.

Witnesses:

JOSEPH FREY, GEonen'W. LEFFLER. 

